Disaster Waste Management: Lessons Learnt from Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Abstract

Much attention has been paid to the human tragedy resulting from the 2005 Indian Ocean Tsunami. But the environmental impacts of the disaster, particularly in terms of the challenges faced as a result of the enormous amount of debris generated, provide important lessons for disaster waste “preparedness” for similar vulnerable cities and regions.

This chapter explores the challenges faced by the city of Banda Aceh, Indonesia in clearing the earthquake and tsunami debris. It looks at the actions taken by both the Government of Indonesia and international agencies/NGOs, and proposes a number of recommendations on the proper handling and management of disaster debris.

Lessons learnt from Banda Aceh’s response call for the setting up of a long-term debris management plan, that include arranging mutual aid arrangements between neighbouring cities, updating the city’s overall waste management, a community communication strategy creating an inventory of heavy equipment available for use, identifying a temporary collection site for debris, and the proper handling of hazardous and toxic wastes.

This chapter is based on the experiences of the authors in implementing an EU-funded project on debris management in Banda Aceh during 2004–2009, when they were working at the United Nations Environment Programme. The views expressed here, however, are those of the authors alone and should not be construed as official policy of the United Nations.